A battery factory in Somerset that is due to supply Jaguar Land Rover is set to receive £380m in UK government funding, as the project moves forward despite delays.
The plant is owned by Tata through its Agratas subsidiary and is expected to play a key role in supplying batteries for JLR’s electric versions of its Range Rover and Jaguar models. Jaguar Land Rover is Britain’s largest automotive employer.
The funding is intended to support the project as construction continues and to help secure jobs while also contributing to economic growth. The announcement adds government backing to a major piece of UK battery manufacturing infrastructure at a time when the automotive sector is shifting toward electric vehicles.
Tata, the Indian conglomerate, owns both JLR and the Agratas battery business. The Somerset site is one of the company’s major industrial investments in the UK and is closely linked to the future electrification plans of JLR.
Although the factory has faced delays, work is still advancing, and the investment is expected to strengthen the plant’s prospects. For JLR, access to batteries from the site is intended to support production of electric versions of some of its best-known vehicles.
The government’s involvement reflects a wider effort to back domestic manufacturing and support the transition to electric mobility. In this case, the funding is tied to a project that could have significance both for the local economy in Somerset and for the UK’s automotive supply chain.
The battery plant’s progress will be closely watched because of its connection to JLR, Tata and the broader push to build more of the electric vehicle supply chain in Britain.
